Present Climate Conditions

Warm Summer 2010 in Twin Cities and Minnesota

August 2010 is drawing to a close and it was a very warm and tropical month in the Twin Cities, as well as the rest of Minnesota. The preliminary August 2010 average temperature at the Twin Cities International Airport is 77.0 degrees, 6.3 degrees above normal. This will make August 2010 the third warmest August with records going back to 1891. The warmest August is 78.2 degrees back in 1947, and the second warmest August is 77.7 degrees in 1937.

In addition, the meteorological summer of 2010 (June-August) will be in a three-way-tie for the fifth warmest on record back to 1891 in the Twin Cities. The preliminary average temperature for the Summer of 2010 is 74.2 degrees at the Twin Cities International Airport. The other two years that also averaged 74.2 degrees are 1936 and 1894. The four years that were warmer are 1949 and 2006, both with 74.3 degrees, 1933 in second place with 75.2 degrees, and the warmest summer on record is 1988 with an average temperature of 75.5 degrees.

Even more impressive, the June-August 2010 average monthly minimum temperature for the Twin Cities set a record. The June-August monthly minimum average was 65.4 degrees, breaking the old record of 65.1 degrees that was set in 1939. The 30 year average is 60.5 degrees.

There were 15 days when the dew point temperature reached 70 degrees or higher in August 2010 in the Twin Cities, with a total number of days for the summer at 26. Since 1980 the average number of days is 23. The most in a year since 1945 is 2002 with 48 days. In all there were 252 hours of dew point temperatures of 70 degrees or higher in 2010. The long term average number of hours is 163. The most recorded since 1945 is 512 hours in 2002. In 2009 there were only 17 hours, which made this summer seem all the more muggier.

The warm summer was felt all across Minnesota with Duluth tieing the eighth warmest summer (June-August) on record.

Summaries from the National Weather Service about the Warm Summer of 2010

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1021 PM CDT WED SEP 1 2010
SUMMER 2010 WAS MUCH WARMER AND WETTER THAN NORMAL AT DULUTH MN.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE SUMMER SEASON OF 2010...THE MONTHS
OF JUNE...JULY...AND AUGUST...WAS 65.7 DEGREES WHICH WAS 2.7
DEGREES WARMER THAN THE NORMAL OF 63.0 DEGREES. THIS TIES THE RECORD
FOR THE 8TH WARMEST SUMMER IN RECORDED HISTORY. THE HIGHEST
TEMPERATURE FOR THE SUMMER WAS 89 DEGREES ON AUGUST 9TH. THE LOWEST
TEMPERATURE FOR THE SEASON WAS 41 DEGREES ON THE 6TH AND 7TH.
SUMMER 2010 WAS ABOVE NORMAL FOR PRECIPITATION WITH A TOTAL OF 14.59
INCHES RECORDED FOR THE SEASON MAKING THIS THE 28TH WETTEST SUMMER
IN STATION HISTORY. THIS IS 1.92 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 12.67
INCHES. THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD FOR
THE SUMMER OCCURRED ON THE 1ST TO THE 2ND OF AUGUST WHEN 1.66 INCHES
OF RAIN FELL.
SUMMER 2010 HAD NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND WAS MUCH WETTER THAN
NORMAL AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE SUMMER SEASON OF 2010...THE MONTHS
OF JUNE...JULY...AND AUGUST...WAS 63.7 DEGREES WHICH WAS 0.1
DEGREES COOLER THAN THE NORMAL OF 63.8 DEGREES. THE HIGHEST
TEMPERATURE FOR THE SUMMER WAS 89 DEGREES ON AUGUST 9TH. THE LOWEST
TEMPERATURE FOR THE SEASON WAS 35 DEGREES ON JUNE 2ND.
SUMMER 2010 WAS ABOVE NORMAL FOR PRECIPITATION WITH A TOTAL OF 15.65
INCHES RECORDED FOR THE SEASON MAKING THIS THE 4TH WETTEST SUMMER IN
STATION HISTORY. THIS IS 5.19 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 10.46
INCHES. THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD FOR
THE SUMMER OCCURRED ON JULY 3RD TO THE 4TH WHEN 3.13 INCHES OF RAIN
WAS RECORDED.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
950 PM CDT WED SEP 1 2010
AUGUST 2010 WAS WARMER AND WETTER THAN NORMAL AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS
MN.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR AUGUST WAS 65.8 DEGREES WHICH WAS 2.0
DEGREES WARMER THAN THE NORMAL OF 63.8 DEGREES. THIS TIES FOR THE
22ND WARMEST AUGUST IN STATION HISTORY. THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE
FOR THE MONTH WAS 89 DEGREES ON THE 9TH. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE WAS
38 DEGREES ON THE 19TH. ONE DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE WAS
TIED FOR THE MONTH ON THE 30TH WHEN THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 88
DEGREES TYING THE RECORD SET IN 1921.
AUGUST 2010 PRECIPITATION WAS ABOVE NORMAL WITH A TOTAL OF 3.83
INCHES RECORDED FOR THE MONTH. THIS IS 0.69 INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL
OF 3.14 INCHES. IT WAS ALSO THE 27TH WETTEST AUGUST IN RECORDED
HISTORY. THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD
OCCURRED ON THE 17TH WHEN 0.85 INCHES OF RAIN WAS REPORTED. AT LEAST
A TRACE OF RAIN WAS REPORTED ON 19 DAYS. AT LEAST 0.01 INCHES OF
RAIN FELL ON 18 DAYS. AT LEAST 0.10 INCHES OF RAIN FELL ON 9 DAYS.
AT LEAST 0.50 INCHES OF RAIN FELL ON 3 DAYS. NO DAILY PRECIPITATION
RECORDS WERE SET DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
THE AVERAGE WIND SPEED FOR THE MONTH WAS 6.5 MPH. THE WINDIEST DAY
FOR THE MONTH WAS THE 15TH WITH AN AVERAGE WIND SPEED OF 15.0 MPH.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 31 MPH FROM THE NORTH WAS REPORTED ON
THE 2ND WITH A PEAK GUST OF 45 MPH FROM THE NORTH. THERE WERE 82
HEATING DEGREE DAYS FOR THE MONTH WHICH WAS 20 BELOW THE NORMAL
OF 102...THIS BRINGS THE SEASONAL TOTAL TO 105 WHICH IS 52 BELOW
THE NORMAL OF 157. THERE WERE 116 COOLING DEGREE DAYS FOR THE
MONTH WHICH WAS 49 ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 67. THIS BRINGS THE SEASONAL
TOTAL TO 207 WHICH IS 16 BELOW THE NORMAL OF 223. THE HIGHEST
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE READING FOR THE MONTH WAS 30.19 INCHES REACHED
ON THE 25TH AND THE LOWEST BAROMETRIC PRESSURE READING WAS 29.58
INCHES REACHED ON THE 13TH.
THE OUTLOOK FOR SEPTEMBER...NORMAL HIGHS FOR THE MONTH RANGE FROM
THE LOWER 70S ON THE 1ST AND COOL TO THE UPPER 50S BY MONTHS END.
NORMAL LOWS RANGE FROM THE MID TO UPPER 40S ON THE 1ST COOLING TO
THE MID AND UPPER 30S ON THE 30TH. NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR
SEPTEMBER IS 3.03 INCHES. NORMAL SNOWFALL FOR SEPTEMBER IS 0.1
INCHES. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION ARE
FORECASTED FOR SEPTEMBER.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
540 AM CDT THU SEP 02 2010
...SECOND HIGHEST AVERAGE DAILY DEW POINT IN LA CROSSE WI...
DURING THE METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER OF 2010, THE AVERAGE DEW POINT AT
LA CROSSE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WAS 63.9 DEGREES. THIS WAS 4.6 DEGREES
HIGHER THAN THE NORMAL OF 59.3 DEGREES. THIS WAS THE SECOND HIGHEST
AVERAGE DEW POINT FOR A SUMMER. THE ONLY SUMMER WHICH HAD A HIGHER
AVERAGE DEW POINT WAS 1995 WHEN THE AVERAGE DEW POINT WAS
64.3 DEGREES. THE TABLE BELOW CONTAINS THE TOP TEN HIGHEST AVERAGE
DEW POINTS FOR A SUMMER.
HIGHEST AVERAGE DEW POINTS
DURING A METEROLOGICAL SUMMER
IN LA CROSSE WI
AVERAGE
RANK DEW POINT YEAR
---- --------- ----
1 64.3 DEGREES 1995
2 63.9 DEGREES 2010
3 63.6 DEGREES 1980
4 63.3 DEGREES 1981
5 62.8 DEGREES 1978
6 62.6 DEGREES 1983
7 62.4 DEGREES 1991
8 62.3 DEGREES 2002
9 62.1 DEGREES 1999
10 62.0 DEGREES 1987
IN CONTRAST, THE SUMMERS OF 2008 (58.5 DEGREES - 8TH DRIEST) AND
2009 (57.4 DEGREES - 5TH DRIEST) FINISHED IN THE TOP TEN FOR LOWEST
AVERAGE DEW POINTS FOR A SUMMER. THE LOWEST AVERAGE DEW POINT
OCCURRED BACK IN 1985 WHEN THE AVERAGE DEW POINT WAS JUST 54.2
DEGREES.
AVERAGE DAILY DEW POINT RECORDS FOR LA CROSSE DATE BACK TO 1948.
$
BOYNE
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
146 PM CDT WED SEP 01 2010
...AUGUST IN ROCHESTER SAW ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION...
THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE IN ROCHESTER WAS 72.7 DEGREES. THIS
WAS 5.0 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. THE AVERAGE HIGH WAS 82.5
DEGREES AND THE AVERAGE LOW WAS 63.0 DEGREES. THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE
FOR THE MONTH WAS 89 DEGREES...WHICH OCCURRED ON THE 9TH...11TH...
12TH...AND 29TH. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE WAS 47 DEGREES...WHICH
OCCURRED ON THE 26TH.
ROCHESTER RECEIVED 3.72 INCHES OF RAINFALL DURING THE MONTH. THIS WAS
0.61 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THE GREATEST 24 HOUR RAINFALL WAS 1.95
INCHES WHICH OCCURRED ON THE 13TH.
...RECORDS...
ON THE 13TH...1.95 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT THE ROCHESTER AIRPORT.
THIS BROKE THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 1.40 INCHES WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY
BEEN SET IN 1911.
THE LOW TEMPERATURE ON THE 8TH OF THE MONTH WAS 72 DEGREES. THIS
BROKE THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR WARMEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THIS
DATE. THE OLD RECORD WAS 70 DEGREES WHICH HAD OCCURRED IN 1887...1938
AND 1988.
...DISCUSSION...
WARM CONDITIONS WERE EXPERIENCED THROUGH MUCH OF THE MONTH OF AUGUST
AS 23 OF THE 31 DAYS SAW ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. 19 OF THOSE DAYS
EXCEEDED 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...WHILE 7 DAYS WERE AT OR ABOVE 10
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THERE WERE 3 DAYS WHEN THE LOW TEMPERATURE
FAILED TO FALL BELOW 70 DEGREES. ALTHOUGH THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
WERE WELL ABOVE NORMAL...THE TEMPERATURE AT ROCHESTER DID NOT REACH
90 DEGREES DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST. A NORMAL AUGUST WOULD SEE 2
DAYS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES AT OR ABOVE 90 DEGREES.
AFTER A WET JUNE AND JULY...RIDGING IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE KEPT MUCH OF THE MONTH OF AUGUST DRY. THERE WERE 10 DAYS
WITH MEASURABLE RAINFALL...HOWEVER ONLY 3 OF THOSE DAYS SAW MORE
THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 0.41 INCHES WHICH
FELL ON THE 31ST...THE LAST HALF OF THE MONTH WAS QUITE DRY. FROM THE
15TH THROUGH THE 30TH...ONLY 0.11 INCHES OF RAINFALL WAS RECORDED.
...LOOKING AHEAD TO SEPTEMBER...
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER IS 58.9 DEGREES.
THE NORMAL HIGH DROPS FROM 74 DEGREES ON THE 1ST...TO 64 DEGREES ON
THE 30TH. THE NORMAL LOW DROPS FROM 54 DEGREES ON THE 1ST...TO 43
DEGREES ON THE 30TH. ROCHESTER TYPICALLY SEES ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER
WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS TO 32 DEGREES OR BELOW. NORMALLY...
ROCHESTER RECEIVES 10 DAYS OF MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION IN
SEPTEMBER...WHILE THE AVERAGE MONTHLY PRECIPITATION AMOUNT IS 3.12
INCHES.
$
BROOKS
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
148 PM CDT WED SEP 01 2010
...AUGUST IN LA CROSSE SAW ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND
PRECIPITATION...
THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AT LA CROSSE WAS 75.8 DEGREES...
WHICH WAS 4.2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE HIGH WAS 85.6
DEGREES...AND THE AVERAGE LOW WAS 66.1 DEGREES. THE HIGHEST
TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 94 DEGREES ON THE 12TH. THE
LOWEST TEMPERATURE WAS 51 DEGREES ON THE 26TH.
A TOTAL OF 5.84 INCHES OF RAIN WAS MEASURED DURING THE MONTH. THIS
WAS 1.56 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THE GREATEST 24 HOUR RAINFALL WAS
2.19 INCHES WHICH OCCURRED FROM THE 8TH TO THE 9TH.
...RECORDS...
THE LA CROSSE AIRPORT RECEIVED 1.84 INCHES OF RAIN ON THE 13TH. THIS
BROKE THE DAILY RAINFALL RECORD OF 1.58 INCHES WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY
BEEN SET IN 1957.
...DISCUSSION...
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING OVERHEAD BROUGHT WARM AND HUMID AIR TO THE AREA
THROUGH MUCH OF AUGUST. THEREFORE...TEMPERATURES WERE ABOVE NORMAL
THROUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE MONTH. THERE WERE ONLY 6 DAYS IN AUGUST
WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. ON 19 DAYS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH...THE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 5 DEGREES OR MORE ABOVE NORMAL...WITH 3 OF
THOSE DAYS REACHING 10 DEGREES OR MORE ABOVE NORMAL. IN A TYPICAL
YEAR IN LA CROSSE...THE TEMPERATURE WILL REACH 90 DEGREES ON 4 DAYS.
THIS YEAR...THERE WERE 6 DAYS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE REACHED OR
EXCEEDED THE 90 DEGREE MARK. ALSO...THERE WERE 8 DAYS DURING THE
MONTH WHEN THE TEMPERATURE FAILED TO FALL BELOW 70 DEGREES.
AFTER A VERY WET JUNE AND JULY...THE RIDGING IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF
THE ATMOSPHERE KEPT MUCH OF THE MONTH OF AUGUST DRY. HOWEVER...WITH
HIGH RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF AN INCH FALLING ON THE 8TH...13TH
AND 31ST...THE MONTHLY RAINFALL ENDED UP ABOVE NORMAL. A NORMAL
AUGUST WOULD SEE 10 DAYS OF MEASURABLE RAINFALL WITH 1 DAY HAVING AN
INCH OR MORE. THIS AUGUST SAW A TOTAL OF 8 DAYS WITH MEASURABLE
RAINFALL THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. ASIDE FROM THE 3 DAYS WHEN SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNTS FELL...4 OF THE 5 REMAINING DAYS SAW LESS THAN TWO TENTHS OF
AN INCH. THE DRIEST PERIOD IN AUGUST OCCURRED FROM THE 21ST THROUGH
THE 30TH...WHERE ONLY A TRACE OF RAIN FELL.
...LOOKING AHEAD TO SEPTEMBER...
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH IS 62.7 DEGREES. THE NORMAL
HIGH DROPS FROM 79 DEGREES ON THE 1ST...TO 68 DEGREES ON THE 30TH.
THE NORMAL LOW DROPS FROM 57 DEGREES ON THE 1ST...TO 46 DEGREES
ON THE 30TH. LA CROSSE TYPICALLY SEES ONE DAY WHEN THE TEMPERATURE
REACHES 90 DEGREES OR ABOVE DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. AVERAGE
PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH IS 3.40 INCHES.